‘A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself’
Response to Fiji Sun
USP, Jone Nemani, Suva
As the Executive Director People and Workforce Strategy, at the University of the South Pacific, I write this rejoinder as a corrective to Jyoti Pratiba’s malicious article dated Saturday 16 January 2021 Fiji Sun
titled ‘USP saga continues with more experienced staff leaving’.
At the outset, I must reiterate that USP is a very large organisation and that from timeto-time people either leave or retire thus exiting the University.
This is normal for any organisation. Whilst I have no intention to report these details here, we regularly provide a HR report to our Council which is the proper place for these issues to be considered.
Dr Morgan Wairiu, for clarity’s sake, was offered an extension of his contract which he chose not to renew.
His contract was to end on 1 March 2021. He was directly reporting to the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Derrick Armstrong, and was negotiating an exit without formally notifying HR or the VCP. We were informed that Dr. Wairiu’s reason for not extending his contract was that he had accepted new employment with Winrock in the Solomon Islands.
The matter came to the VCP’s attention when I informed him that Dr. Wairiu was not renewing his contract and that in order to return to the Solomon Islands he had requested a waiver to leave before the end of his contract. This is not normal practice for a senior member of staff and left the university in a lurch.
It is normally expected that an adequate period of notice is provided.
Dr. Wairiu did not formally resign. This could technically be viewed as an abandonment of employment.
Neverthless, HR. facilitated his departure paying for his and his eligible family members return. At my instigation, the VCP, in accordance with USP policies and procedures, granted the waiver and he departed for Solomon Islands on 9 January in a special repatriation flight.
USP will not divulge any further information about Dr Morgan’s departure or any internal staff matters due to confidentiality. USP has its own internal policies, processes and mechanisms to deal with staff exits and is tasked to protect personal information. I am fully aware that there are external parties contributing to misinformation and disinformation and I strongly urge them to please stop.
I request for more respect and understanding, and invest more energy in ways to assist our regional institution and our students, the future leaders.
USP is a regional and equal opportunity employer and promotes equity, diversity and inclusion in the region.
This approach will ensure that we recruit and select the right fit-for-purpose candidates that will contribute to USP’s vision, mission, and goals and promote the values of USP and regional partnerships. USP is mindful of its obligations and plans to promote and retain as many Pacific Islander staff as possible.
In fact, VCP Professor Ahluwalia is encouraging more Pacific Islanders to remain and return to USP.
Recently, USP appointed two new Campus Directors at its Solomon Islands and Samoa campuses. Both Directors are from their respective countries.
The VCP’s vision for USP is very clear; he wants to develop as many homegrown Pacific people to achieve Professorial status. He is committed to coaching, mentoring Pacific Islander academic staff, raising their academic, and research profiles.
He is aggressively looking for, and to influence, other Pacific academics abroad to return and share their international experience at USP.
This has currently been challenging due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions.
It is important that fairness, balance and accurate reporting is maintained so that the public is not misled with unsubstantiated information.
This is not normal practice for a senior member of staff and left the university in a lurch. It is normally expected that an adequate period of notice is provided.